Article handling apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A substantially continuous ribbon of a thermoplastic material supporting a plurality of depending and equally spaced-apart articles or bodies and moving in a generally linear direction through a first path of travel at a relatively high rate of speed is periodically fractured at equally spaced-apart points along the length thereof to successively provide a series or succession of ribbon lengths each supporting an equal number of the pendent articles, and successive ones of the ribbon lengths are handled and delivered to ribbon-length receiving and transfer means without contacting any of the pendent articles or bodies of such ribbon lengths. The thermoplastic ribbon may, for example, be a ribbon of a glassy material from which the pendent articles or bodies are integrally formed by glass forming apparatus while the ribbon moves through said first path of travel, and the apparatus for fracturing, handling and delivering the ribbon lengths includes a plurality of ribbon-length pickup devices which are located in a second path of travel generally collinear with said first path of travel and each of which are alternately moved and actuated by cam means to follow and pickup successive ones of the moving ribbon lengths, move each length into clearance of the next following ribbon length, and deliver each picked-up length to said ribbon-length receiving and transfer means.

United States Patent Bustraan et al.

[ 51 Sept. 12,1972

[54] ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS AND METHOD Inventors: Daniel J.Bustraan, 273 Orchard Drive, Big Flats, N.Y. 14814; Miio A. Gossie, 216Seneca Street; Roy N. Sundstrom, 18 Upper Drive, both of Coming, N.Y.14830; William R. Wisner, 413 Antler Road, Big Flats, N.Y. 14814 Filed:Oct. 20, 1970 Appl. No.: 82,466

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1931 Woods et al ..65/67 2/1967Mumford et a1 ..65/348 X 10/1971 Koshiishi ..65/67 X PrimaryExaminer-Frank T. Yost Attorney-Clarence R. Patty, Jr. and Charles W.Gregg [57] ABSTRACT A substantially continuous ribbon of a thermoplasticmaterial supporting a plurality of depending and equally spaced-apartarticles or bodies and moving in a generally linear direction through afirst path of travel at a relatively high rate of speed is periodicallyfractured at equally spaced-apart points along the length thereof tosuccessively provide a series or succession of ribbon lengths eachsupporting an equal number of the pendent articles, and successive onesof the ribbon lengths are handled and delivered to ribbon-lengthreceiving and transfer means without contacting any of the pendentarticles or bodies of such ribbon lengths. The thermoplastic ribbon may,for example, be a ribbon of a glassy material from which the pendentarticles or bodies are integrally formed by glass forming apparatuswhile the ribbon moves through said first path of travel, and theapparatus for fracturing, handling and delivering the ribbon lengthsincludes a plurality of ribbon-length pickup devices which are locatedin a second path of travel generally collinear with said first path oftravel and each of which are alternately moved and actuated by cam meansto follow and pickup successive ones of the moving ribbon lengths, moveeach length into clearance of the next following ribbon length, anddeliver each picked-up length to said ribbon-length receiving andtransfer means.

.10 Claims, 42 Drawing Figures I PATENTEDSEP 12 I972 sum 010$ 22 AGENTPATENTEU SEP 1 2 I972 SHEET OZUF 22 6m qmm wmm wm m9 m3 N EN INVENTORS.Daniel J. Busfraan Mijo A. Gossie Roy N. Sundslrom William R. WisnerAGENT PAIENIEBsEr 12 m2 3.690.527

SHEET 030F 22 49 ame US. man 9 Mijo A. Gassre Roy N. Sundstrom I WilliamR. Wisne'r AGENT mimmsmzmz 3.590.527

SHEET OM01 22 Fig. 3

INVENTORS. Daniel J. Busfraan Mi 'o A. Gossie Roy N. Sundsfrom WilliamR. Wisner AGENT PATENTED SEP I 2 I972 SHEET USUF 22 INVENTORS. Daniel J.Busfraan Mijo A. Gossie Roy N. Sundsfrom Wi/Iiam R. Wisner AGENT can? 22SHEET P'A'IENTEDSEP 12 I972 lOl Slf

INVENTORS. Daniel J. Busfraan Mijo A. Gossie Roy N. Sundsfrom William R.Wisner .Mww 2% 1W AGENT P ATENTEDSEP 12 I972 3.690.527 SHEET 0 7 OF 22I/vvEIvToRs. Daniel J. Bustraan Mi 'o A. Gossie Ray N. Sundsfrom WilliamR. Wisner ie/4mm wm AGENT PATENTEDSEP 12 1922 v SHEET EGG-F 22INVENTORS. Daniel J. B ustraan Mijo A. Gossie Ray N. Sundsfrom Wil/icrmR. Wisner AGENT PMENTED 12 I973 SHEET NSF 22 llllll-lllll-I INVENTORS.Daniel J. Busrraan Mijo A. Gossie AGENT PHENTED Z v I 3.690.527

' SHEET 15 SF 22 524 l 557 5l2 526 565 525 es 5m Fig. 230

INVENTORS.

Daniel J. Busfraan Mijo A. Gossie Roy N. Sundsfrom William R. WisnerAGENT PATENTEDSEP :2 m2 3.690.527

sum 16 or 22 Fig. 23b

INVENTORS. Daniel J. Busrraan Mijo A. Gossie Roy N. .Sundsfrom B WilliamR. Wisner AGENT PATENTEDSEP 12 1922 SHEET 17 0F 22 INVENTORS. Daniel J.Buslraan Mijo A. Gossie Roy N. Sundsfrom B William R. Wisner GENTPATENTE'DsEP 1.21922 3,690.52? sum 18 or 2 INVENTORS. Daniel J. BusfraanMi o A. Gossie Roy N. Sundsfram William R. Wisner AGENT PAIENTEIISEP 1211172 CIRCUMFERENTIAL SECTION OF GROOVE (ZERO LINE) ACCELERATION SECTIONOF GROOVE CONSTANT VELOCITY SECTION OF GROOVE] DECELERATION SECTION OFGROOVE CIRCUMFERENTIAL SECTION OF GROOVE 0) O) (D030) 0 00! 010301030 0!(D 'U (J UOI UIUOIOIOIUOIUOJUIOIUDIU UUU EXTENT LINEAR INCHES 1N FROMDEGREES ZERO 1 1NE Q RIBBON-ENTRANCE 325.00 .0 END OF CAM 40.00 .8542SPIRAL OR 9000 25 8542 HELICAL GROOVE 3&8 588832 22.52 27.8428RIBBON-EXIT EN0 940.00 27.8428 OF CAM (MAIN CAM GROOVE PATH) F ig. Z6

INVENTORS. Daniel J. Busfraan Mijo A. Gossie Roy N. Sundsfrom William R.Wisner I i 9 7 A M117 .M

AGE NT

1. Apparatus for handling a succession of equally spaced-apart pendent articles or bodies depending from a parent ribbon of thermoplastic material moving at a selected and relatively high speed through a selected path of travel, said apparatus comprising, in combination; A. means adjacent the exit end of said path of travel and including a conveyor for receiving said ribbon and moving such ribbon in a forward direction through a part of a second path of travel generally collinear with said selected path, such means successively cracking off from the leading end of the ribbon succeeding equal lengths thereof, each such leNgth supporting a bank of the same number of said pendent bodies; B. ribbon-length handling means at a handling station having ribbon-length entrance and exit ends intermediate the ends of said second path of travel, such handling means including a pickup device above said conveyor for picking up and transferring succeeding ones of said lengths of ribbon, and further including means associated with said pickup device for actuating such device to sequentially; I. move said pickup device in said forward direction from said entrance end towards said exit end of said station to follow along with a length of said ribbon as it moves below said handling means; II. lower said pickup device to contact and take the followed length of ribbon; III. raise said pickup device to separate the taken length of ribbon from contact with said conveyor and provide clearance between the trailing end of said taken length of ribbon and the leading end of the next succeeding length of ribbon; IV. during further movement of said pickup device in said forward direction, move such pickup device laterally to said exit end of said station to clear said second path of travel; and V. actuating said pickup device to release said taken length of ribbon at said exit end of said station; C. means at said exit end of said station for receiving the released length of ribbon and conveying such length away from such station; and D. a pickup device return means operating, following said conveying of said length of ribbon away from said exit end of said station, for moving said pickup device in a direction opposite to said forward direction to return such device to said ribbon entrance end of said station in preparation for such pickup device correspondingly handling a succeeding length of said ribbon.
 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and in which said thermoplastic material is a glassy material.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and in which said ribbon-length handling means further includes; a second pickup device similar to the first mentioned pickup device and actuated correspondingly thereto, such second device being moved in said forward direction substantially simultaneously with the return movement of the first mentioned pickup device to said entrance end of said station; and a pickup device return means associated with said second pickup device, such return means operating, correspondingly to the pickup device return means associated with said first mentioned pickup device, to return such second pickup device to said ribbon entrance end of said station in preparation for the second pickup device handling a succeeding length of said ribbon.
 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 and in which said thermoplastic material is a glassy material.
 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 and further including, a. a second ribbon-length handling means similar to the first mentioned ribbon-length handling means and positioned in said second path of travel at a second station having ribbon-length entrance and exit ends intermediate the location of the first mentioned station and the exit end of such second path of travel, b. means for alternately actuating the pair of pickup devices of said second ribbon-length handling means to pickup and transfer succeeding ones of said lengths of ribbon similarly to the corresponding pickup devices of said first mentioned ribbon-length handling means, c. means at said exit end of said second station for receiving each length of ribbon released at such exit end of such station and conveying each such length away from such station, and d. first and second pickup device return means each associated with a different one of said pair of pickup devices of said second ribbon-length handling means, each such return means operating, correspondingly to the pickup device return means of said first mentioned ribbon-length handling means, to alternately return each respectively associated pickup device Of said pair of devices to said entrance end of said second station in preparation for each respectively returned device handling a succeeding length of said ribbon.
 6. Apparatus accordance with claim 5 and in which said thermoplastic material is a glassy material.
 7. In conjunction with a machine including a first conveyor for moving an indefinite length of ribbon of a thermoplastic material in a selected direction through a selected path of travel, such ribbon supporting a succession of equally spaced-apart pendent articles or bodies, an apparatus for handling said articles or bodies, such apparatus comprising; A. a second conveyor adapted for movement in said selected direction through a second path of travel generally collinear with said selected path of travel, such second conveyor including adjacent the exit end of said first conveyor an entrance end for receiving the leading end of said ribbon; B. means located at a first location in said second path of travel for successively fracturing said ribbon at equidistant points along the length thereof as such ribbon moves through such second path of travel, such fracturing providing a succession of end-to-end ribbon lengths each supporting an equal number of said pendent bodies; C. means for handling said ribbon lengths, such means located at a handling station in said second path of travel at a second location intermediate said first location and the exit end of such second path, such station having entrance and exit ends, and such means including; a. main support member mounted for reciprocative sliding movement in first and second directions above and generally normal to the vertical plane of said second path of travel; b. first and second slide members supported by and below said main support member at a first height above said second path of travel, and adjacent first and second opposite sides of such path, respectively, such slide members mounted on such main member for reciprocative sliding movement of the slide members between said entrance and exit ends of said station; c. first and second ribbon-length pickup devices supported above said second path of travel at a variable second height lower than said first height and mounted on said first and second slide members, respectively, for vertical movement in relation to such second path of travel as well as for reciprocative sliding movement in first and second directions away from and towards said vertical plane of the second path of travel, respectively, and generally horizontally normal to such plane; d. a rotatable drum cam supported above said main support member with its axis of rotation aligned parallel with said second path of travel and including about the outer periphery thereof a cam groove having first and second dwell portions adjacent first and second opposite ends, respectively, of such cam and a spiral portion therebetween connecting said dwell portions; e. first and second cam followers mounted on and extending upwardly from said first and second slide members, respectively, for at alternate times engaging said cam groove of said drum cam; f. first and second slide-member engagement means associated with said first and second slide members, respectively, for at times engaging each respectively associated slide member and moving each such engaged member from said exit end towards said entrance end of said station; and g. ribbon-length receiving and transfer means located adjacent said exit end of section station; and D. means for operating said ribbon fracturing means and said ribbon-length handling means in a time relationship with the speed of movement of said length of ribbon through said selected path of travel to; I. successively fracture said ribbon and provide said ribbon lengths; II. rotate said cam in a direction to move each cam follower when engaged in said spiral portion of said cam groove from said entrance end towards said exit end of said station; III. movE said main support member in its said first direction to simultaneously and correspondingly move said first and second slide members in directions to respectively engage and disengage said first and second cam followers, respectively, with and from said first and second dwell portions, respectively, of said cam groove; IV. move said second slide-member engaging means to engage said second slide member and move such member towards said entrance end of said station; V. during said movement of said second slide member towards said entrance end of said station, continue rotation of said cam to move said first cam follower into said spiral portion of said cam groove and said first slide member towards said exit end of said station and, simultaneously therewith, said first pickup device in a corresponding direction while actuating such pickup device sequentially downwardly and upwardly to take one of said ribbon-lengths and raise it from said second conveyor; VI. further continue rotation of said cam to move said first cam follower and such first pickup device and the taken ribbon length towards said exit end of said station and, thereafter, such first cam follower into said second dwell portion of said cam groove and such first pickup device to said ribbon-length receiving and transfer means; VII. actuate said first pickup device to deliver said one of said ribbon lengths to said ribbon-length receiving and transfer means; VIII. move said main support member in its said second direction to simultaneously and correspondingly move said first and second slide members in directions to respectively engage and disengage said second and first cam followers, respectively, with and from said first and second dwell portions, respectively, of said cam groove; IX. move said first slide-member engaging means to engage said first slide member and move such member towards said entrance end of said station; X. during said movement of said first slide member towards said entrance end of said station, continue rotation of said cam to move said second cam follower into said spiral portion of said cam groove and said second slide member towards said exit end of said station and, simultaneously therewith, said second pickup device in a corresponding direction while actuating such pickup device sequentially downwardly and upwardly to take a ribbon length succeeding said one of said ribbon lengths and raise such taken ribbon length from said second conveyor; XI. further continue rotation of said cam to move said second cam follower and said second pickup device and the taken ribbon length towards said exit end of said station and, thereafter, such second cam follower into said second dwell portion of said cam groove and such second pickup device to said ribbon-length receiving and transfer means; XII. actuate said second pickup device to deliver said succeeding ribbon length to said ribbon-length receiving and transfer means; and XIII. continuously repeat, in the recited sequence, the cycle comprising operations III through XII to correspondingly transfer and deliver further successive ones of said ribbon lengths to said ribbon-length receiving and transfer means.
 8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 and in which said thermoplastic material is a glassy material.
 9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 and further including; a. a second ribbon-length handling means similar to the first mentioned ribbon-length handling means, such means located at a second handing station in said second path of travel at a third location intermediate the first-mentioned station and the exit end of such second path; and b. means for operating said second ribbon-length handling means to pickup and transfer successive ones of said ribbon lengths which pass said first-mentioned station, such second handling means operating correspondingly to said first mentioned ribbon-length handling means.
 10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 and in which said thermoplastic material is a glassy material. 